How Is Alopecia Areata Treated?
There is no cure for alopecia areata. There are no drugs approved to treat it. Doctors may use medicines approved for other diseases to help hair grow back. Talk to your doctor about the treatment that is best for you. The following are some treatments for alopecia areata. They may help hair grow back, but none of them prevent new patches of hair loss or cure the disease. Corticosteroids: Corticosteroids are drugs that reduce swelling and pain. They also affect the immune system. Corticosteroids may be given in three ways for alopecia areata: • Injected in the skin • Swallowed as pills • Rubbed on the skin as a cream or ointment. Drugs that are rubbed on the skin as a cream or lotion include: • Minoxidil (5%) • Anthralin • Squaric acid dibutyl ester (SADBE) and diphenylcyclopropenone (DPCP). Drugs that affect the immune system include: • Sulfasalazine • Cyclosporine. Photochemotherapy: In photochemotherapy, a person is given a drug called a psoralen, which is affected by light. The dru
